A Hobbit's Tale
by BananaaPumpkin
Summary: This is a Hobbit's Tale. It's not just any old hobbit's story - it's my story, about how two hobbits came to meet unexpectedly one day in the woods. I'm Hannah Baggins, and I'll be telling my adventure to you folk, whoever you folk may be.


Good day to you, reader.

It's nice to meet you. I'm Hannah, Hannah Baggins. You may have heard of the name 'Baggins' before, in tales and adventures told across far and distant lands. Our family is rather famous, from my brother Frodo's adventures, and our cousin, Bilbo. We as a family, as you have probably heard, are quite the adventurous folk, which is quite unlikely for hobbits as they mostly like to keep themselves to themselves, and have no intention whatsoever in joining in any adventures. But somehow, the Baggins' always seem to end up in the middle of something unexpected.

I live in The Shire, of course, the place where hobbits live peacefully, and they would like to keep it that way. Since the destroying of the Ring, the world has been at peace ever since, and no evil has come into these parts. Hobbits have always lived here, and have had so happily ever so. We hobbits love to dance and sing, celebrating even the tiniest of things. We take a very big interest into gardening, and this leads us into my story.

For you see, there is a gardener around town, and he is known as the best, and the best he is! I've seen his handiwork around the gardens of the hobbit's houses, the red, yellow, blue and orange flowers swaying in the gentle breeze. Everybody always wants him to tend to their gardens, so much that the other gardeners had no gardens to tend to.

He had never tended my garden. I don't even think he knows I live here. I had been too afraid to ask him in the past. I have a keen interest in flowers and plants, and I always go to the woods to draw them in my little book that I keep in my satchel, and have done so ever since I lived here. And I have never asked the gardener to tend to my garden because I'm afraid he'd not like it, and I wouldn't want that.

See, the thing is, I have never actually spoken to this gardener, though I have seen him around, in the other hobbits' gardens. He's looked at me a couple of times when he saw me standing there on the path, staring at him, and each time I've ran away in fright and embarrassment.

So this is how my story starts. About me and the gardener.

I was walking through the woods, the same woods which I walk through every day. I had my little brown satchel which was slung over my shoulder and across my chest, bouncing on my hip at my side. It contained my little book, and a pencil, which I used for my sketches of flowers and plants, and it was filled with drawings and drawings of the wild flowers that were found in these woods. I came here to draw plants, yes, but to also find a place where I could just get away from the hustle and bustle of busy hobbits. I found it easier to concentrate in silence, where the birds sang, and the trees whispered.

I walked through the tall overgrown grass, which was the height of my knee, and made my way into the clearing which I always sat down on. It was the only place where the grass was short, and the only place where I could see the plants and flowers properly.

I sat down cross-legged on the grass, and took off my satchel, opening the flap and pulling out my book and the pencil. I took a deep breath, listening to the leaves on the trees rustling in the cool wind. Merry and Pippin had told me that the trees come to life, though no-one believed them. I thought that there was something magical about the trees, the way they whispered to one another.

I spotted a white flower by a root of a tree, and walked over and sat in front of it, examining it. I looked through my book, and had found that I had not drawn it before. I got my pen and started to sketch the outline of the unknown plant.

Halfway through the drawing, I heard a cracking of a twig not far away from the clearing. I stood up apprehensively, looking around me. I heard something rustling in the grass to my right. I walked over to where the noise came from, trying not to make any noise at all. The grass was getting a lot taller here, so tall that it was now above my head. I had to push my way through, and I couldn't see anything, as the grass was getting rather thick.

I heard another snap of a twig, but this time it was behind me. I jumped around, and I couldn't see anything except grass. I heard a rustling coming towards me, and I let out a shriek and ran away. I had no idea where I was running away to, or from, or even where the clearing was. My breathing was heavy now – I had never taken much to sports or running. I stumbled quite a few times on uprooted branches and roots, and I was getting desperate for a way out of this grassy maze.

I wasn't sure where I was going, for all I knew I could be running round in countless circles, not getting any closer to the exit. It was starting to get dark, and I was close to tears. I was about to give up when I ran into something large and hard. I was knocked back onto the ground, and something fell on top of me. I struggled to get up, trying to free myself from whatever it was and trying to push it off of me.

I opened my eyes, and I saw a pair of brown eyes looking back into my green ones. They looked just as startled as I was, and once I looked at their face properly, I realised that it was the gardener. We didn't say anything for a couple of moments; we just stared into each other's eyes, silently. We were both breathing rather heavily from all the running about, and our faces were flushed. I wasn't sure if it was from the running around, or if it was from embarrassment.

"Er," He said, embarrassedly, scrambling up from the floor in a hurry. He reached out his hand to help me up, and I grabbed hold of it shyly. He pulled me up, and smiled as he scratched the back of his head. He had a cheeky crooked smile, and had gingery-brown hair. "Sorry about that.." He gave a nervous laugh, and ruffled his hair. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Sam. Samwise Gamgee." He extended his arm, and I shook it again, nearly forgetting to let go.

"I-I-" I stuttered, running my hands through my hair. "I-I'm Hannah. H-Hannah Baggins."

He looked shocked at the name, but smiled all the same. "Ah! Another Baggins! I don't believe Frodo's ever mentioned you.. I think I would remember your name.. it's very pretty."

I blushed, and looked down at my shoes, swaying from side to side. "Thank you." I looked up at him and smiled.

"Do you live around here in The Shire?" He asked me, taking a step closer to me. "I think I remember seeing you around somewhere.. I don't think that I would forget your face." He smiled that crooked smile again, and my heart skipped a beat. My legs turned into jelly at the very sight of it, I even almost forgot to breathe.

"Er, yes," I said, composing myself. "I live where Frodo used to live, before he went off on his adventures with Bilbo and Gandalf. You know, Bag End?"

"Oh! Yes, of course! I can't believe we've never met."

We fell silent for a moment or two, not really knowing what to say.

"..Well, I've got to get back to the clearing.. I left my bag and book there. It was nice meeting you, Sam." I said, walking away, disappointed that we couldn't talk for longer. I gave him a little wave and a smile.

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you too, Hannah."


End file.
